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Old January 28th, 2021 #109
Crowe
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I don't believe solar sails have been proven, it's just an idea on paper. If they can send a probe to one of the outer planets using a solar sail, and get it back to Earth, then you could call me a believer. However, if I understand the concept right, they'd still need boosters on the return trip, or a gravity assist to catapult it back to Earth. So they'd have to retract or remove the solar sails on the return trip. Jupiter would be perfect for doing a gravity assist. Micro meteorites would shred a solar sail though, and potentially compromise it. The bigger the sail, the more likely it is to take damage. I guess the question is, can a solar sail still work efficiently if it's swiss cheese?
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